Thoughts of You
by Azura Nyx
Summary: Eli is shy about expressing his feelings to Chloe. Will this slow down the progression of their friendship?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Thoughts of You

**Author: **Azura Nyx

**Characters: **Eli/Chloe, Dr. Nicholas Rush

**Type: **Romance/Drama/Friendship

**Length: **1, 400 words, 2 chapters

**Warnings/Author's Notes: **Spoilers for the episodes 'Time' and 'Life.' The characters do not belong to me because they are property of MGM. There is some foul language and sexual insinuations in this story.

**Rating: **PG- 13 (T)

**Summary: **Eli is shy about expressing his feelings to Chloe. Will this slow down the progression of their friendship?

**Thoughts of You**

_**Chapter 1**_

As Destiny flew through hyperspace, Chloe and Eli were sitting together on a bench, enjoying the miraculous and beautiful view of space's colors; red, orange, blue, aqua green… it was all so breathtaking. Chloe leaned in and kissed Eli on the cheek. Turning his head towards Ms. Armstrong, there was an expression of bewilderment etched upon Eli's face.

"I-I'm sorry," apologized Chloe. "I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable. It's just this view is very quixotic."

"No, _no…_I'm not at all uncomfortable by that- just surprised," Wallace answered.

Ms. Armstrong smiled, and rested her head upon Eli's shoulder. "Can I be honest with you about something?"

Grinning widely, Eli joked, "Oh! I don't know about that, Chloe. I'm quite the gossiper, ya know."

"I'm sure," Chloe giggled, joking as well. She sat up straight and peered into Wallace's brown eyes. "In all seriousness though, I…feel… very relaxed when I'm around you, Eli. In fact, it's so strange, but it seems as though you've become my shoulder to cry on when nobody would listen."

"Nah," dismissively started Eli. "Lt. Scott has been there for you as many, if not more, times than I have. He cares for you a lot."

Apprehensively peering down to the floor, Ms. Armstrong commented, "You'd be surprised."

"What does that mean," a puzzled Wallace inquired, trying to attract Chloe's gaze once again.

"I know he cares about me, but ever since he found out that he has a son… I-I don't know. He's been… indifferent around me," Chloe explained.

"I'm sure he doesn't mean to hurt you," Eli began. "The guy's a little anxious about the situation… anyone would be."

Shaking her head in disagreement, Armstrong replied, "That's not what I mean. Matthew never looks me in the eyes anymore when we talk. There have been numerous occasions when we argue that he almost says to me by accident, 'If I could, I would go back to Annie.' But he always apologizes and tries to act like we can work everything out."

Wallace was lost for words by this. He didn't know if he should console her or…what? What could Eli say? He didn't want to get in the middle of Chloe and Lt. Scott's relationship, but he also got the hunch that Armstrong was right in her assessment. "It could very well be that he nearly said that just because it was the heat of the moment," nervously surmised Eli.

"You don't _really _believe that," Chloe stated, fixedly staring at Wallace. "I know you don't, and I know why you're saying that."

Trying to be rational, Wallace said, "If I didn't believe what I'm saying to you, then why would I-"

"_Stop_... pretending, Eli," Armstrong crossly insisted. "Just stop it. Don't you remember what you told me when I died…er… could have died?"

_Sitting down by Chloe's bedside whilst in the infirmary, Eli tensely remarked to her, "__Why do people always wait until times like these to tell someone how they really feel?" Wallace laughed tremulously. As tears welled up in his eye sockets, he tried to fight from crying. Eli then continued, "It's so stupid. I-I just ...__." _

_He stared off for a moment, pondering whether or not he should say more. Eventually, however, he chose to. "Ah, screw it," he said, shifting nervously in his chair. "__When I'm near you, things are just ... better. You don't even know how amazing you are!__It doesn't matter!" _

_Sighing as he takes Chloe's hand in both of his, Wallace serenely says, "I've never had a best friend before; never - never known anyone like that before; never loved ... um ..._." _Eli pauses for a moment, surprised and a little embarrassed the term 'love' whirled off of his lips. "I just… need to make sure you know that I'm here for you. Always will be."_

_Eli peered down at Chloe and sorrowfully begged, "Please don't die." _  
_On the brink of tears, T.J walks up to Chloe and checks the dying woman's pulse. As Eli hopefully looked up at the medic, she ruefully said, "…she's gone." Angered and filled with a multitude of indescribable emotions, Eli trekked out of the infirmary._

"No. I don't remember," Wallace blandly lied to Armstrong.

Chloe bit her lip as she peered off to the side, tears streaming gradually down her face. "Right. I'm sure you don't," she sardonically answered. Ms. Armstrong raised herself off of the bench to leave, but Eli immediately grabbed her wrist.

"How do you remember an alternate event that never happened," inquisitively asked Eli.

Turning herself to face Wallace, Chloe replied, "Before changing the course of action to prevent everyone from dying, you wrote an entry about what you said to me in your diary and, somehow, it stayed there after everything had been… corrected, I guess you could say."

"You read my diary," Eli asked. Armstrong couldn't tell if he was irate or astonished or both.

"It was lying by my bedside when I woke up," she hurriedly explained. "I thought it was mine since ours look so much alike."

"Oh, right! Because once you opened it up and read a passage from it, you didn't realize it wasn't yours," harshly exclaimed Wallace, his arms crossed in resentment.

"Okay…yeah… so what I did wasn't right, but when I realized you were writing about me I couldn't stop reading it. I highly doubt you wouldn't have done the same," Chloe angrily retorted. "In any case, here's what I meant to give you," she continued, throwing to Eli what appeared to be a diary…_her _diary at him, and she stomped off.

As soon as the door slammed Eli threw the journal to the floor, refusing to look through it. He was angry at Chloe and figured he had every reason to be. After all, a five year-old understands the meaning of 'privacy,' so Ms. Armstrong certainly comprehended the word and there was no excuse for what she had done.

However, after Wallace calmed down a half an hour later, he contemplated the situation on a deeper level. Eli sighed, strolled over to the diary and picked it up. The first entry read:

_Eli, I know you will read this, so there's no sense in me being indirect about it. The past few months I have known you have been nothing short of a blessing to say the least. In that light, I feel as though there have been times I overlooked our friendship by being with Lt. Scott. Being that as it may, you probably have thought that I never noticed your affection for me… the love you feel towards me. You couldn't be more wrong. I feel the same way about you- always have._

_I realize now the relationship between Matthew and I cannot compare to what you and I have, especially after the time, although it was an alternate moment, when you told me I was your best friend and that you loved me._

_For the first time in my life I feel truly loved because of you. Not to mention I can be myself when you're around! I don't have to pretend. I can be as crazy and goofy around you as I want and you'd still care for me. Simply put, I want you to know that I appreciate you._

_Love,_

Chloe Armstrong

Reluctantly, Eli closed the journal and sat it next to him. He put his head in his hands and thought aloud, _Oh my God! What in the hell have I done?_

Wallace became extremely nervous and pensive, uncertain of what he should do next. Should he apologize to Chloe, or just forget what he read and attempt to distract himself by heading to the lab? Eventually, however, he initially chose the latter.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2**_

"Oh! Hello, Eli," Dr. Rush greeted Wallace as he entered through the lab door. "What are you doing here?"

"I came by to see if you needed or wanted any help," Eli answered.

With the look of disbelief upon Nicholas's face, he began to smile incredulously. "Are you sure," he inquired. "Because that's not what I heard."

"What _have _you heard then, Rush," questioningly remarked Wallace.

"That Chloe tried to express her feelings to you, but you were a dumbass and refused to hear any of it," Rush said.

Flailing his arms in annoyance, Eli expressed, "Gee! Thanks for the pep talk! I suppose whilst you two were having your in-depth conversation about me that Chloe never told you she _read _my diary, hmm?"

Nicholas crossly peered over at Wallace, narrowed his eyes and commented, "Oh, boo-fucking- hoo! How else was she supposed to know? It's no damn secret that you certainly weren't going to tell her! And what I don't understand is that you lost her once to Lt. Scott and now that you _finally _have her attention, you push her away. So tell me this: do you want to lose her to someone else…again?"

That was a very feasible question in Eli's perspective, one which made him contemplate harder than he ever had in a while. The last time he pondered this deeply was in his physics course back at the university before he dropped out.

If Wallace didn't act now, he could lose Chloe and this time it would be forever. That was the last thing he desired. Eli thought back to all of the moments he spent with Chloe; her smile, laugh, comedic nature was something he yearned for again. He needed to see her, needed to apologize. Slowly, Eli backed out of the lab and ran through the hallways to Ms. Armstrong's quarters.

Panting in desperation for air, Eli knocked on Chloe's door. Fairly soon there afterward, Ms. Armstrong answered it: Wallace, being a little speechless at the time, attempted to say something logical. All that came out, however, was, "Uh…l-l-look. Erm… I'm... I c-c-can't…uh…."

"You can't what," Chloe asked. "And why is your face so red? You didn't run all the way here, did you?"

Eli nodded his head in affirmation, and closed his eyes in deep thought for a few seconds. When he opened them again, he continued, "I shouldn't be asking for your forgiveness because I really don't deserve it. I was upset that you read my diary, but I realize now that what you said earlier is probably true- that I wouldn't have been able to stop reading a journal entry about myself either."

Ms. Armstrong broodingly crossed her arms and nodded her head, signaling for Eli to continue talking.

"In all honesty, I stopped by to say a few things… um… firstly, thank-you for writing what you did. Secondly, I'm crazy about you. I wanted you to know that before it's too late… if it already isn't," a very anxious Wallace said to Chloe as he fought back the tears. "I love you, and… the only regrets I have since knowing you is being the asshole you saw earlier, and not telling you of my feelings sooner."

Peering down to the floor, Chloe grinned widely. Once she looked up at Eli again she pulled him towards her and kissed him passionately on the lips.

"So… you forgive me then," Eli worriedly asked.

"Mmm… not…quite," flirtatiously replied Chloe. She kissed him again as they stumbled into her room, and she closed the door behind them.


End file.
